Trolley-retriever.



c. E. SOHLAGLE 8; M. RHODGE.

TROLLEY BBTRIEVBR. APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

Patented Aprl 5, 1910.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1 .0. E. SGHLAGLE & M. F. HODGB. I

TROLLEY RETRIEVBR. APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

wm j m m Y n ma m4 12 P QR N\ 6 m a;

0. 3. SGHLAGLE & M. F. HODGB.

- TROLLEY RETBIBVER.

954, 9. APPLICATION rmm 11.4, 1999. Patented Apr 5 1910.

3 SHEETS-BHBET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. SC HLAGLE, OF WOLCQTI, {KINDMADISON F. HODG'E, 0F LEAVENWOBTE,

' IKAJAISAS.

TROLLEY-BETBIEVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Apr. 5, 1910.

and catchers and has for its object to produce a device of thischaracter in which air, under pressure, is utilized to effect thepractically-instantaneous lowering of the trolleypole after jumping thetrolley wire.

A further object is to produce a trolley catcher, wherewith the pole canbe readily engaged and heldin depressed or inoperative position and fromwhich it can be inof Fig. 3.

stantly disengaged by simply. pulling down upon and releasing thetrolley rope or cable.

With these and other objects in view, as hereinafter appear, theinvention consists in certain novel and peculiar features ofconstructionand combhiations of parts-hereinafter described and claimed;and in order that it may be fully understoodreference is to be hadto'the accompanying drawings, in which:

l igurc l. is a rear-end View of a trolley is a- III Fig. 4. is asection taken on sub- 2, is a side view of the same. Fig. 3, verticalsection taken on the line Ill of Fig. 5.

stantially the same line as: Fig. 3, but Viewed 7 in the QDPOHllGdirection.

-" an enlarged section taken on the dotted line Vii. o t but on largerscale. Flg". S, is a section on the-line vlll llll in the said drawingwhore like reference 1 characters identify corresponding parts, 1

indicates a troll ey {car.,2- thetrolley-pole 3 the cable whereby theconductor lowers the pole and -'l a catcher for holding the'pole in itslowcrcu position, said catcher being constructed as follows; 5 is a barextending transversely of and secured upon the top of the car over thevestibule, and secured to said bar is a second bar which is bent toforms plurality of lshaped figures 6, ar-

ranged side by side transversely across the car, the upper end of thestem of each J-shaped figure being connected by an 0blique portion 7 tothe hook-terminal of the adjacent J-shaped figure, said oblique portionsdiverging upwardly with respect to the stem-portions or" the J-shapedfigures from whose hook-terminals said oblique portions project, so asto form a flaring mouth for each J-shaped figure, to facilitate the ventrance therein of thetrolley-pole when pulled downward its fulldistance. It will be apparent that when the conductor pulls the cabledownward a sutfi'cient distance, the pole will be swung dow'ihwardthrough the flaring mouth of and into one of the J-shaped figures andeventually strike and be deflected laterally by that'part of thesemi-circular lower end of the figure which underlies the contractedportion of said flaring mouth. As it strikes and is thus deflectedlaterally by said part, the pull on the cable is relaxed so as to permitthe pole as it immediately starts upward under the force of itsactuating spring, not shown, to be carried on by the impetus of itsdeflection to one side of the plane of the contracted mouth and belowthe hook terminal, the pole therefore, in the initial part of its upwardmovement, following a direction which diverges upward slightly from theplane of its downward movement. in other words, the pole when thuspulled downward into the Jshaped figure and released at the propermoment,

follows a V-shaped course, the terminal of the hook arresting the upwardmovementand holding the pole reliably inits depressed or iiuuierativeposition. To release the trolley pole, the cable is pulled downwardlyuntil it strikes'that'part of the semicircular lower end of the\l-sh'aped figure, which underlies the hook teruiimil, said portion ofthe figure deflecting the pole to 'ard tlie' stem ofthe figure. At theproper moment the pull on the cable isrelaxed so that in suchdeflection, the pole, as it startsupwnrd ander the power of the springas the cable is relaxed, is carried by its impetus of deflection stillfarther toward the stem until it is ,in vertical -alii'iemcn't with thecontracted figures it will be apparent that the trolleypole can besecured in its depressed position even 1f not occupylng its normalplane, that j is the plane of the longitudinal center of the car, andthus avoid. the necessity of the conductor manipulating the polelaterally so as to insure its engagement with the catch.

Referring now -to .the retriever mechanism; 8 indicates a circular platecast integral, by preference, with and at right-angles to a cylinder had9, having an opening 10 at the inner side of said plate and a guard-rib11 in the plane of the upper side of the opening 10, the opening in saidhead being disposed below the axial center of the plate which isequipped, below its center, with a depending arm 12.

13 is a cylindrical sheetmetal casing provided with a head or wall 14 atone end, the plate 8 forming the opposite head or wall,

-the easing'and plate 8 being'secured together I 18 equipped at its endadjacent to plate or head 8 with a cog-wheel 19 and at its opposite endwith a cylindrical drum 20 to receive the cable 3 connected to thetrolleypole, the inner'end of the cable being secured in any suitablemanner, (not shown) to the drum, as customary in trolley catchers andretrievers. Inthe hollow portionor chamber of the drum is abarrel-spring 22 secured at one end to the drum and at the other to theshaft 16 or other fixed point, the tendency of said spring being toresist rotation of the drum tending to unwind the cable therefrom. Thedrawing does not show theends of the spring fastened as explained asthe. method of making such connections is old and well known in trolleyretrieversJ 23 is a stud-bolt carried by plateor head 8 and forming ajournal for a cog-wheel 24E meshing with cog-wheel 19, and asmallcrcog-wheel 25 rigid with cog-wheel 24, and meshing wlth a raclebar 26extendingthrough opening 10 of cylinder head 9 and under guard-rib 11,and secured on the opposite end of the rack-bar is a piston 27 for acylinder, consisting of head 9, head 28 and a cylindrical bodyportion29, the said partsbeing secured together by tie-rods 80.

31 indicates a pipeway leading from a compressed-air tank (not shown) onthe car, to the outer end of the cylinder and provided with a cut-offvalve 32 between the tank and the cylinder. Said pipeway is alsoprovided with a coupling 33 forming a valve-casing provided with aperforated diaphragm 34, Y i

is a valve having a stem 36 projecting upwardly through the perforateddiaphragm and the casing, and downward into a removable cup 37 carriedby the casing,'a helical spring 38 interposed between the valve andtsaid cup, holding the former yieldingly on its seat.- The valve-easingis 1I)l()\'lCl8tl with an upwardly-projecting arm 39, and pivoted tosaid arm is a curved lever 40 having a pin-and-slot connection at llwith the lower end of a slide-bar 42 mounted in a keeper 43 secured toplate or head 8, and extending up ward from said slide-bar 42 throughthe body-portion of the casing 13, is a rod ll equipped with a handle 45at its upper end, and provided within the casing with a notch -16normally engagedby a :spring-actuated catch 47 pivoted at 48 to the,plate or head 8, a pin 49 also projectingffroin said plate or headserving to stiffener brace the rodent] thus guard against the sa inespringiljig out of engagement with the catch. The rod extends throughthe bracket 50'secured to the plate or wall 8, and a spring 51 surroundsthe rod and bears at its upper and lower ends respectively, againstbracket 50 and slidebar 42 for the purpose of forcing rod 44' downwardWhen disengaged from the catch, as hereinafter ex lamed, and through thelnstrum'entahty 0 lever 40 unseatlng valve 35 to permit air to passfromthe tank hereinbefore referred to, into the outer end of thecylinder and force the piston inward, for a purpose which hereinafter apears.

To trip the catch 47, a pair 0 arms 52 are] pivoted at diametricallyopposite points as at 53-tothe drum 20, the free ends of said armsbeingweighted by'preference, by enlarging them or otherwise as at 54, pins 55projecting from the drum, limiting the outward swing of the arms whichare held pressed inwardly at theirv free ends, by springs 56. I

Assuming that the parts are arranged as described and that the trolleyWlIQGljIIIIIpS the wire, and in starting upward, starts to unwind thecable, it will be seen that the drum will be revolved against-theresistance of spring 22, and through centrifugal force, the weightedarms 52 will-swing outward, one of them in such action, striking theinner'end of catch 47 and tripping-it from engagement with notch 46 ofrod at. The instant this occurs spring 51 forces said rod downward, andthrough lever 40. as hereinbefore explained, unseats valve 35 andpermits air, under pressure, to force piston 27 in thedircctionindicated by the arrow on the raclebar, and thus cause said rack-bartojengage cog-wheel and rotate the same upon the drum and thercfore,pulling the I trolley-pole, downward, this rewinding ley-pole downward,the chief function of said spring being to hold the cable taut at alltimes.

To permit the trolley pole to swing upward and effect reehgagement ofthe trolley wheel with the trolley wire, the. conductor grasps handle 45and pulls rod v 44 upward to withdraw lever 40 from en- 'gagernent withvalve-stem 36. As this is accomplished, the 'valve is reseated by springpositions, the air between the-piston and 38 to cut ofl" the pressure ofair on the piston and permit spring 57 within the cylinder to return thepiston and rack-bar and hence the parts geared thereto to their originalvalve 35, escaping into the atmosphere" through the {vent-passage orgroove 58 provided for thepunpose, in the upper part of the stem. 36 ofvalve 35, it being under:

stood that spring-57 is compressed or tensioned when the piston iscaused 'to operate triever and catcher w ficing any ed claims.

under the pressure of air supplied through pipe 3-1, and'tliat thespring-actuated catch 47 snaps into the notch 46 of rod 44 when thelatter is pulled upward, as explained, by the operator, and locks said.rod in its elevated or initial position.

From the above descriptionit will be ap-' parent that we have roduced atrolley reliich embodies the features of advantage enumeratedas'desirable, and'which is obviously susceptible of modi-' 'fication invarious particulars without departing from the spirit and scope orsacriof the advantages of the append- Having thus described theinvention what we claim as new and desire to secure byLetters-Patentis: 1. Ina device of the character described,

a winding drum, a trolley-pole cable wound upon the drum, a cylinder, apiston therein, means whereby movement of the piston in one'direct onshall impart-rotation to the drum, a spring tending to turn the drum inthe same direction to hold the cable taut, a pipeway to conduct air,under pressure to the cylinder to operate the piston, ayieldingly-seated valve normally preventing the passage of air, underpressure, through said pipeway to the cylinder, yielding-means normallyholding the piston near the end of the cylinder from which it is movedby air, under pressure, spring-actuated means to unseat said valve, acatch normally holding said means withdrawn to' permit the valve to beseated, and means actuated by r0.- tation of the drum imparted by,thecable in unwinding, to trip said catch to permit the valve to beunseated to permit the piston to be operated by air, under pressure, andreverse the rotation of the drum and rewind the cable thereon.

2. In a device of the character described, a winding drum, atrolley-pole cable, wound upon the drum, a cylinder, :1 piston therein,means whereby movement of the piston in one direction shall impartrotation to the drain, a spring tending to turn the drum in the samedirection to hold the cable taut, a pipeway to conduct air, underpressure, to the cylinder to operate the piston, a yieldingly-seatedvalvenormally preventing the passage of air, under pressure, throughsaid pipeway to the cylinder, yielding-means normally holding the pistonnear the end of the cylinder from which it is moved by air, underressure, spring-actuated means to unseat sald valve, a catch normallyholding said means withdrawn to permit the valve to be seated, andcentrifugally-operated means rotatable with the drum, adapted in theunwinding movement of the latter, to swing outward and trip said catchto permit the valve to be un'seated to permit the piston to be operatedby air, under pressure, and reverse the rotation ofthe drum and re windthe cable thereon.

3. In a device of the character described, a winding drum, atrolley-pole cable wound upon the drum, a cylinder, a piston therein,means'wherebymovement of the piston in one direction shallimpart'frotation to the drum, a spring 'tending'to turnthe drumin thesame direction to hold the cable taut, a pipeway toconduct air, underpressure, to the cylinder to'operate'the piston, a yieldingly-seatedvalve normally preventing the passage of air, under'pressure, throughsaid pipeway to the cylinder, yielding-means normally holding the pistonnear the end of the cylinder, from which it is moved by air, underpressure, spring-actuated means to unseat-said valve, a catch normallyholding said means withdrawn to permit the valve to be seated,- andanarm pivoted to and held pressed yieldingly toward the axis of the drumadapted in the unwinding rotation of the latter, to swing outward andtrip said catch to permit the said valve to be unseatcd to permit air,under pressure, to pass through .said pipeway into the cylinder.

4. In a device of the character described, a winding drum, atrolley-polecable, wound upon the drum, a cylinder, a piston therein, means wherebymovement of the piston in one direction shall impart rotation to thepassage of air, under pressure, througl'i said pipeway to the cylinder,yielding-means norinal position to permit the valve to be reseated, andmeans to causesaid catch to reengage the valve-unseating-means and holdthe same. withdrawn from the valve.

5. In a device of the character described,

. a shaft, a drum journaled thereon, a trolleypole cable wound upon thedrum, a spring tending to turn the drum to hold the said cable taut, atrain of gearing rotatable with the drum, a cylinder, a piston thereinprovided with a rack-bar stem for engagement with one of said gears, apipeway communicating with the cylinderand adapted to conduct air, underpressure, into the cylinder to operate the piston and thus cause therack-bar stem to engage said gearand 'rotate the drum in the'properdirection to wind the cable thereon, a valve controlling said pipeway,yielding-means holding the valve seated, yieldingly-actuated means tounseat said valve, a catch engaging said means to hold the samewithdrawn. to permit the valve to be seated, means actuated by therotation imparted to the drum through the unwinding of the cable to tripsaid catch to permit said yieldingly-actuated means to unseat the valveand means to return the piston to its original position-after thevalveis seated.

6, -In adevice of the character described, a shaft, a drum journaledthereon, a trolleypole cable wound upon the drum, a spring tending toturn said drum'to hold the said cable taut, a train of gearing rotatablewith the drum, a cylinder, a piston therein provided with a rack-barstemfor engagement with one of said gears, a pipewa-y comniunieatmg with thecyhnder and adapted to conduct air, under pressure, into the cylinder tooperate the piston and thus cause the rack'bar stem to engage said gearand rotate the drum in the proper direction to wind the cable thereon, avalve controlling said pipeway, yielding-means holding the 'valveseated, yieldingly-actuated means to unseat said valvc,a catch engagingsaid means 'tohold the same withdrawn to permit the valve to be seated,means actuated by the rotation imparted to the drum through a theunwinding of the cable to trip said catch to permit saidyieldingly-actuated means to unseat the valve, means to return thepiston to its original position after the valve is seated, means wherebysaid yieldingly-aetuated means may be withdrawn from the path of thevalve, and means to cause the catch toreengage and hold saidyieldinglyactuated means in its original or inopera t1ve positlon. p

7. Ina device of the character described,

-a drum, a trolley-pole cable wound upon the drum, a cylinder, a pistontherein, means whereby "movement of the piston in one direction shallimpart rotation to the drum, a spring tending to turn the drum in thesame .directi'onto hold the cable taut, a pipeway to conduct air, underpressure, to the drawn to permit the valve to'be seated and meanswhereby rotation of the drum im parted by the cable in unwinding, shalltrip said catch to permit the valveto be unseated and the piston to beoperated by air under pressure, to reverse the rotation ot the drum andrewind the cable thereon.

8. In a device of the character described, a drum, a trolley-pole cable,wound upon the drum, a cylinder, a piston therein, means wherebymovement of the piston in one direction shall nnpart rotation to thedrum,

.a spring tending to 'turnthe drum in the same direction to hold thecable taut, a

pipeway to conduct air, under pressure, to the cylinder to operate thepiston, and provided with a, vent-passage, a yieldingly seated valvecontrolling said pipeway at the opposite side'of the vent-passage fromthe cylinder, yieldinguneans normally holding the piston near the endofthe cylinder from which it is moved by air.,underpressure. a leversuitably fulcrumed and adapted for engagement with the stein of saidvalve to unseat the latter, a rod connected to said lever and providedwith a notch, a catch suitably pivoted, a spring holding the catch inyielding engagement: with said notch. a spring to impart movement tosaid rod and lever. when the catch is tripped from said notch, to causethe lever to engage said stem and unseat the valve, a handle wherebysaid rod and'lever may be restored to their original positions, a springwithin the cylinder to return the piston to its original position andmeans actuated by movement imparted to the drum by "the unwinding of thecable therefrom. for tripping saidcatch.

In testimony whereof we aflix our sigmatures, in the presence of twowitnesses.

OHARLES'E. SCHLAGLE. MADISON F. HODGE. Witnesses:

J. J. KELLER, W. R. DAVIS.

